A document seen by Euronews suggests von der Leyen’s own EPP will dominate key positions in the next EU executive, leaving socialists and liberals with the crumbs.
Speculation is high ahead of next week’s official unveiling of the new College of Commissioners, with members of President Ursula von der Leyen’s European People’s Party (EPP) seemingly securing several coveted portfolios.
A table making the rounds among members of the centre-right EPP sees von der Leyen’s party claiming up the most sought-after policies in the EU executive – including policy areas eyed by socialists.
According to the internal document seen by Euronews, the employment and housing portfolios, much coveted by the centre-left socialist grouping, could go respectively to Austria’s Commissioner Magnus Brunner and Croatia’s Dubravka Šuica, both from the EPP, with the latter potentially also taking health or social affairs.
Brunner is also the only possible candidate named for the coveted competition portfolio by the document, making him the bloc’s chief antitrust enforcer.
Von der Leyen was in July reappointed by a broad coalition of MEPs including the EPP, socialists and liberals, but she’ll need their support once again when they vote on whether to approve the Commission as a body, allowing it to serve for the next five years.
Pedro Sánchez’s pick, Teresa Ribera, will apparently be given a senior position as executive vice president for the digital green transition, but other socialist candidates are expected to land less influential positions.
Malta’s Glenn Micallef is in line for a minor portfolio, either equality and intergenerational issues or fisheries, while Denmark’s Dan Jørgensen might be assigned a climate change brief, split from energy or environment responsibilities.
Micallef’s political experience has reportedly been questioned by von der Leyen, who’s attempting to convince the Maltese government to make an eleventh-hour switch to a female candidate. Romania’s Roxana Mînzatu, the other socialist candidate, may be awarded an economic portfolio, a likely reward for her government’s decision to nominate a woman.
Liberal party nominees are also expected to secure the home affairs portfolio for Belgium’s Hadja Lahbib, financial services for Ireland’s Michael McGrath and another economic role for Slovenia’s Tomaž Vesel – though, like Malta, von der Leyen is reportedly pushing Ljubljana to switch to a female name.
The leak confirms previous reports that three executive vice presidencies will go to France, Italy, and Spain. Alongside Ribera, France’s Thierry Breton is expected to be handed responsibility for Industry and Strategic Autonomy, while Italy’s Raffaele Fitto gets Economy and Post-Pandemic Recovery
Estonia’s Kaja Kallas has already been named for a vice-presidency by EU leaders, and the remaining two most senior executive posts should go to incumbents Valdis Dombrovskis and Maroš Šefčovič, according to the document.
The other EPP Commissioners are expected to receive the lion’s share of powerful portfolios. Competitiveness is likely to go to either Finland’s Henna Virkkunen or Sweden’s Jessica Roswall, while trade is expected to go to the Netherlands’ Wopke Hoekstra.
Lithuania’s Andrius Kubilius could then take the security portfolio, strengthening Baltic influence over foreign policy and reinforcing the EU’s anti-Russian stance alongside Kallas, the document suggests.
The assignment would see energy go to Jozef Síkela, an independent close to the EPP, while agriculture will remain under EPP control, with Luxembourg’s Christophe Hansen or Portugal’s Maria Luisa Albuquerque in contention for the role.
The leak hints at splitting the agriculture portfolio, with rural development going to Greek Commissioner-designate Apostolos Tzitzikostas, who may also be in charge of transport.
ADVERTISEMENTIt suggests Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s pick, incumbent Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi, is likely to be rejected by the European Parliament.
If this happens, another of Orbán’s favourites, Fidesz MEP Enikő Győri, appears to be under consideration as a replacement, helping von der Leyen in her bid for gender parity.
The definitive portfolios will be announced by von der Leyen next Wednesday (11 September).
